HEALTH: Heart diseases equally affect people in rural areas
Author(s): City Air NewsPatients being examined at the camp by Dr. Harinder Singh Bedi. Ludhiana, December 19, 2012: Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in India. People across all regions, both urban and rural...
cityairnews
Dec 19, 2012 12:30
0
Patients being examined at the camp by Dr. Harinder Singh Bedi.
Ludhiana, December 19, 2012: Heart disease is the leading cause of death and disability in India. People across all regions, both urban and rural are equally prone to heart problems. Earlier this disease was majorly seen among people in urban areas due to their sedentary lifestyles, changed food habits, lack of physical exercise and increased level of stress. But today, even in the rural areas people tend to imitate the lifestyle and culture of urban cities and follow the same pattern. So, this causes people to suffer from various lifestyle diseases leading to heart diseases often.
Recently the Cardiac Surgery Department of the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana organised free health checkup camps at Village Isru in Khanna and in Samrala. Under this camp, 500 people from different age groups were examined, in which 215 were found to be having heart problems. Among those 24 were children below 15 years of age and 38 were adults below 40 plus years of age.
All patients were examined by super specialists , investigated , counseled and given free therapy . Dr. Harinder Singh Bedi – Head of Cardio Vascular and Thoracic Surgery of CMCH - stressed that it was a holistic approach to therapy as they laid a great stress on prevention. Trained dietitians and a full time Yoga Acahrya were part of the team which had 6 doctors, 14 nurses and 12 paramedical staff from CMC.
Dr. Bedi said, “The statistics shows a rise in the number of heart patients in rural areas, which is very alarming. It is a matter of concern as this is the highest rise we have observed in a rural area. Change in the lifestyle patterns of people in rural areas have been observed in the recent years, which ultimately leads to increase in various diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure and heart problems. At the CMCH, I see more of patients with heart diseases needing surgery from rural areas today. The numbers have consequently increased. In order to bring this under control, it is the need of the hour to take preventive measures and educate people by creating awareness.”
Dr Abraham G Thomas – Director of CMCH- said that the CMC was committed to a positive health of the people of this region and outreach camps were an integral part of the ethos of CMC.
